and at the consecration of bishops. The first begins with these words Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire, Out of the second I quote some verses, not for any excellency of the poetry, but for the soundness of the divinity expressed in these lines Come, Holy Ghost, eternal God, Both from the Father and the Son, Visit our minds, and into us Thy heav'nly grace inspire, That in all truth and godliness Thou in thy gifts art manifold, Whereby Christ's Church doth stand, In faithful hearts writing thy law, According to thy promise made, That thro' thy help, the praise of God O Holy Ghost, into our souls Strengthen and stablish our weakness, That neither devil, world, nor flesh, Grant us, O Lord, thro' thee to know And that with perfect faith also, From these authorities, it appears to be the doctrine of the scriptures, and of our reformers in harmony with them, That spiritual life, and knowledge, and faith in Christ, and hope in him that maketh not ashamed, and holy love, with every godly motion of the heart, come from the holy inspiration of God the Spirit. It is from him that we understand the scriptures, in the mind of the Spirit: it is from his grace that we grow in scripture knowledge, and persevere in the use of means, and at the same time in a constant dependence on his presence in them, for the furtherance and joy of our faith. He begins, he carries on, and he perfects our learning in his revealed word and will. O that he may make us, and keep us good scholars, in an abiding sense of the necessity of his divine teaching: that the Spirit and the word may go together in our bible studies, and bible experience: so that this may be the daily prayer of our faith. O thou Spirit of wisdom and revelation, who hast taught us that secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us, and to our children for ever; open the eyes of our understanding to understand what is revealed in the scriptures for our use. Dispose us to hear them, read them, and meditate on them, with profit. And help us to mix more faith with them, that they may become more precious. In every day's reading, grant that we may find them to be the ingrafted word, and that we are really branches grafted into the tree of life, and by the rain and shining of heaven, enabled to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit abundantly. For all these blessings keep us ever dependent on thy divine teaching, that our fruits may grow richer and riper-we may be more humble in our hearts, and more thankful in our lives; that so we, who can learn nothing as we ought without thee, may by thy grace be made wise unto eternal salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus-To whom with thee, O Father, and thee, O Holy Spirit, be equal honour and glory, now and for Amen. ever. CHAP. III. The believer's triumph in the Lord his THE object of his rejoicing is always one and the same, yesterday, to-day, and for ever, without any variableness, or shadow of turning; it is Christ, God in Christ, concerning whom the commandment runs-Rejoice in the Lord Jesus always, and again, I say, rejoice; there being in him a fountain of joy springing up into everlasting life. What he is in his own wonderful personwhat is revealed of his gracious works and ways in his dealings with the sinners of mankind-what he did for them in the days of his flesh-what he does in them by his Spirit in time-what he has promised to give them in eternity; in every possible view that can be taken of him, a believer may and ought to rejoice always, and that with a fulness of joy: for thus the apostle offers up his praise-"Now thanks be to God, who always causeth us to triumph in Christ." |